Housing Wire

DECEMBER 17, 2024

There have been countless press releases and news articles about how AI is changing the mortgage industry. The industry fears AI will ultimately replace everyone, from operations to loan officers. As a loan officer , I am not losing any sleep, and here is why you should not, either. Absolutely not.I

Loan Officer 396

Loan Officer Loans Mortgages Technology 396

Housing Wire

MARCH 10, 2025

A reverse mortgage-related bill that was introduced in the Maryland state Senate that would have put the onus on lenders to cover some extra expenses tied to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM ) origination process has been withdrawn by the sponsoring senator after conversations with reverse mortgage industry representatives.

Industrial 329

Industrial Mortgages Equity Loans 329

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 17, 2024

Better Home & Finance, the parent company of digital lender Better.com , launched its voice-based artificial intelligence loan assistant on Thursday. ” The AI loan assistant, dubbed Betsy, was built through Tinman, the company’s proprietary loan origination platform, where information and facts on loan applications are stored.

Loans 435

Loans Loan Officer Lending Mortgages 435

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 20, 2024

The state of leadership in the mortgage industry When people say, Theres no such thing as a perfect company, are they really acknowledging an inherentflaw or are they feeling the void left by inadequate leadership? Four months later, the branch was still struggling, and worse, my top loan officer now the branch manager quit.

Industrial 395

Industrial Loan Officer Mortgages Loans 395

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

Describing the modern-day mortgage market as challenging would be an understatement, to say the least. Mortgage interest rates have steadily ramped up throughout 2024. The average rate throughout 2024 for 30-year fixed mortgages was 6.72% higher than it was during the 2008 market crash. Finance a loan, and you may lose money.

Loans 343

Loans Mortgages Equity Construction 343

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 31, 2024

Reverse mortgage industry leader Finance of America (FOA) announced updates on Thursday to the interest rate for HomeSafe Second, its proprietary second-lien reverse mortgage product. The interest rate on the loan has been lowered from 9.99% to 9.49%. The interest rate on the loan has been lowered from 9.99% to 9.49%.

Mortgages 434

Mortgages Equity Loan Officer Loans 434

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 18, 2024

Provident told broker partners that all loans in the pipeline must be locked by 11:59 p.m. Additionally, all loans currently locked must be funded by the lock expiration date. Relatedly, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have blacklisted a number of condo buildings in South Florida that it won’t back loans for. PST on Oct.

Mortgages 524

Mortgages Marketing Lending Finance 524

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 23, 2024

Even as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prominent in the mortgage industry, most millennial and Generation Z homebuyers are hesitant to rely solely on a fully automated application process to get a loan, according to a new study. About 58% of respondents still relied on loan officers to guide them through the process.

Mortgages 459

Mortgages Loan Officer Loans Technology 459

Housing Wire

JANUARY 3, 2025

Reverse mortgage professionals made more inroads into the forward mortgage industry in 2024. This happened through dedicated conversations, partnerships between reverse and forward mortgage companies, and expanded activities in reverse that stemmed from acquisitions and expansions of existing divisions.

Mortgages 418

Mortgages Lending Loan Officer Loans 418

Housing Wire

MARCH 27, 2025

Self-branded “financial fitness” platform FinLocker announced Wednesday that it will cover 100% of the verification costs for mortgage borrowers who use lenders’ FinLocker-powered apps. The company calls the move an “industry-first initiative.” ”

Mortgages 326

Mortgages Loan Officer Technology Loans 326

Housing Wire

MARCH 25, 2025

What’s the deal with all the discussion across the lending community about the fluctuation of the loan officer population recently? There have been social media posts and editorials debating the current total number of loan officers, whether the population has decreased, and if so, by how much.

Loan Officer 243

Loan Officer Loans Mortgages Industrial 243

Housing Wire

MARCH 12, 2025

Evergreen Home Loans has expanded into New Mexico , opening branches in Albuquerque and Carlsbad. Evergreen, a direct mortgage lender serving the western U.S., provides origination, funding and servicing for home loans. The locations will be led by area manager Barry Abt, the company announced Wednesday.

Loans 351

Loans Construction Finance Mortgages 351

Housing Wire

JANUARY 8, 2025

California -based direct lender AmeriTrust Mortgage announced a new addition to its leadership team. The company welcomed veteran mortgage executive Jett Farrington this week as its new chief operating officer. billion in loans in 2024, according to an Instagram post on the company’s website.

Mortgages 397

Mortgages Loans Industrial Banks 397

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 18, 2024

Mortgage applications declined 0.7% 13, driven by slight decline in refinance activity, according to data released Wednesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The decline in applications broke a five-week streak of increases in mortgage demand. Adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) activity remained steady at 5.3%

VA loan 395

VA loan Mortgages FHA loan Loans 395

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

In a new episode of “The Loan Officer Podcast,” host Dustin Owen chats with John Cornish of Iowa-based Key Mortgage Group about his path into the industry, tips for scaling a mortgage lending business and how to avoid stagnation as a loan originator. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Mortgages 370

Mortgages Sales Loan Officer Lending 370

Housing Wire

MARCH 11, 2025

Tomo Mortgage on Tuesday announced the closure of $20 million in Series B funding that was led by three existing investors and a new participant. Tomo touts its use of artificial intelligence in streamlining loan underwriting and closing processes. The companys tech-driven approach to lending is proving attractive to investors.

Closing 360

Closing Mortgages Investor Loan Officer 360

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Tim Nelson, a longtime reverse mortgage industry professional and reverse department manager at VIP Mortgage in Scottsdale, Arizona , spent 20 years in the home lending arena before shifting his focus entirely to reverse. Nelson is now a reverse mortgage borrower in addition to being an industry professional.

Mortgages 370

Mortgages Loan Officer Equity Lending 370

Housing Wire

JANUARY 27, 2025

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) this month published an issue spotlight that takes a closer look at home equity contracts, or what the industry refers to as home equity investments (HEIs) that offer a lump sum payment to clients in exchange for a stake in their home equity.

Equity 370

Equity Mortgages Loans Residential 370

Housing Wire

JANUARY 24, 2025

There were a total of 298 consumer complaints submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in 2024 that were related to the reverse mortgage industry, according to a database maintained by the bureau. About 13% of all complaints were related to applying for a loan or refinancing an existing one.

Mortgages 417

Mortgages Bankruptcy Short sale Loans 417

Housing Wire

MARCH 20, 2025

Lessons from California wildfires and other natural disasters Californias wildfires highlighted the chaos that natural disasters continue to unleash not just on homeowners, but also on the mortgage servicers tasked with supporting them and the insurance industry that covers the cost of rebuilding.

Mortgages 351

Mortgages Investor Inspection Loans 351

Housing Wire

JANUARY 30, 2025

Sage Home Loans Corp. “We are thrilled to welcome Bijoy John as the new Senior VP of Marketing at Sage Home Loans Corporation,” Sage Home Loans’ CEO Mike Malloy said in an email. The veteran mortgage marketer has worked for companies like Freedom Mortgage , Newrez and Rate , his most recent company.

Loans 382

Loans Marketing Lending Banks 382

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 22, 2024

Guaranteed Rate Affinity announced a promotion on Tuesday as the joint venture company named 22-year industry veteran Mark Rawls as vice president of mortgage lending. Rawls’ prior experience spans several companies — including Movement Mortgage and WR Starkey Mortgage.

Lending 433

Lending Mortgages Loan Officer Development 433

Housing Wire

MARCH 14, 2025

The mortgage professional of the future goes beyond the transaction. Our mortgage industry is experiencing a fundamental shift. Traditional loan officers who focus solely on transactions are being replaced by mortgage professionals who act as financial strategists, long-term advisors, and educators.

Mortgages 363

Mortgages Loan Officer Marketing Loans 363

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

As low inventory levels, elevated mortgage rates and rising home prices keep the housing industry stagnant, short-term real estate investors — aka fix-and-flippers — faced market turmoil during the third quarter of 2024. The average interest rate for a fix-and-flip loan also rose in Q3 2024 to 10%, according to Kiavi.

Investor 434

Investor Mortgages Renovation Loans 434

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

The passage of the mortgage trigger lead bill as proposed in the U.S. Congress will face a challenge from a new plan expected to be released this week by representatives of the consumer reporting industry, HousingWire has learned. ” “The industry proposal does not address the underlying problem of telephone solicitations.

Mortgages 397

Mortgages Loans Industrial As-is 397

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 20, 2024

At the beginning of 2024, mortgage technology company LoanPASS was announced as a technology partner for reverse mortgage lender Smartfi Home Loans. Getting the hang of reverse Mitchell is a 25-year veteran of the mortgage technology space, primarily working for LOS companies.

Mortgages 397

Mortgages Technology Principal Industrial 397

Housing Wire

MARCH 10, 2025

A reverse mortgage could have benefits for a qualifying borrower, but anyone considering these loans should also be mindful of the potential risks. A reader who asked Weston to weigh in on the product relayed the story of their 94-year-old mother, who took out a reverse mortgage in her late 60s thinking she would not live past her 80s.

Mortgages 329

Mortgages Equity Loans Finance 329

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 4, 2024

Top 10 mortgage lender Rate — previously known as Guaranteed Rate — announced a new promotion on Wednesday. The company named veteran mortgage professional Connie Lindsay as its senior vice president of mortgage lending in Washington state. Most recently, Lindsay served as a mortgage loan officer at U.S.

Lending 397

Lending Mortgages Loan Officer Loans 397

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

The Tech100 Mortgage award recognizes the most innovative and impactful organizations driving the mortgage industry forward. Now in its 13th year, the Tech100 program serves as a trusted resource for housing professionals, providing a definitive list of the industrys top technology providers.

Mortgages 417

Mortgages Title Lending Loans 417

Housing Wire

MARCH 31, 2025

Late last week in an email update to its members, the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) announced that reverse mortgage software pioneer Jerry Wagner, founder of Ibis Software , died in February. Throughout the 1990s, Ibis developed several reverse mortgage software applications, including for use by counselors.

Due diligence 293

Due diligence Mortgages Development Banks 293

Housing Wire

MARCH 19, 2025

She had an association with Kind Lending before being hired as COO, as the company was a client of LendArch, the mortgage consulting firm she founded in 2021. Richards has a long history in leadership and executive roles in the mortgage industry. At the time of her hiring, she remained the CEO of LendArch.

Lending 221

Lending Industrial Bankruptcy Mortgages 221

Housing Wire

MARCH 31, 2025

Rocket Companies is buying Mr. Cooper , America’s largest mortgage servicer, in a market-shattering deal that could reshape the mortgage industry for years to come. That’s one out of every six mortgages in America. Cooper, will be president and CEO of Rocket Mortgage, reporting to Krishna.

Finance 468

Finance Title Mortgages Equity 468

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

With mortgage rates back into the 7% range and several consecutive weeks of reduced demand , Rocket Mortgage is making what appears to be a volume play. A company spokesperson confirmed that the credit can be used for both purchases and refinances on conventional, VA and FHA loans. 12 third quarter earnings report.

FHA loan 370

FHA loan Mortgages Marketing Loans 370

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 19, 2024

What drives the secondary market and mortgage industrys top innovators? This series unveils the personal and professional moments shaping Pollys executive team and their vision for a better mortgage future. Jon Foys journey from Montana to Polly is driving innovation in the mortgage industry.

Mortgages 393

Mortgages Loan Officer Technology Industrial 393

Housing Wire

MARCH 3, 2025

Union Home Mortgage (UHM) on Monday announced its acquisition of Nations Reliable Lending , aka NRL Mortgage. By coming together, we expand the reach of that promise further, while also continuing to build a unique workplace culture in the mortgage industry,” UHM CEO Bill Cosgrove said in a statement.

Mortgages 334

Mortgages Loan Officer Lending Banks 334

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

In honor of the 2025 Tech100 nomination season, HousingWire asked leaders from last year’s Tech100-winning companies including Flueid , Vesta , Gridbase and MyHome, a Williston Financial Group Company to share some examples of how their technology has helped transform a traditional real estate and mortgage process.

Title 370

Title Mortgages Title search Bankruptcy 370

Housing Wire

JANUARY 21, 2025

After years of high interest rates, and price spikes, mortgage lenders are optimistic heading into 2025. Fannie Mae predicts a 28% increase in mortgage originations to $2.1 The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) also predicts that total origination volume will increase by 28.5%

Mortgages 370

Mortgages Investor Loans Principal 370